The Oak Crest Institute of Science is on the move in more ways than one! Recent local, national and international news coverage of Oak Crest’s development of a subdermal implant to treat and prevent HIV, along with grant awards from the National Institute of Health and NASA, have elevated interest in the small research facility to new heights. But that’s not all!
Dr. Marc Baum, founder and president of the Oak Crest has announced that Oak Crest will be moving to a new facility in Monrovia, CA, within the coming months. The building is located at 128-132 W. Chestnut Ave., 6.9 miles from their current location and just one block away from Old Town Monrovia.
Preparations for the move are currently underway. Interior demolition has begun and remodeling is expected to take several months to complete. During their 14 years in Pasadena, Oak Crest has doubled in size, twice. And, is now doubling again.
“We had reached critical mass in terms of size at our current location,” states Dr. Baum. “We now have the opportunity to double our capacity while simultaneously designing lab space that will suit our short, medium, and long-term needs.”
For the past several months Drs. Baum and Moss have been meeting with architects to discuss ways in which to take the existing infrastructure at the Monrovia facility and put it in an optimal layout.
Certain parts of the lab will be much larger and sealed off. The tissue culture area, for instance, will be twice as large. And the analytical instrumentation area will increase in size as well.
“The entire layout will be much more research fellow friendly,” adds Dr. Baum. “We will have adequate space for our scientists and research fellows to meet and interact, as well as larger space for seminars. In addition, we will have a dedicated classroom for educational programs and large conference room facilities.”
With the rapid growth that Oak Crest has experienced in the last 10 years, Dr. Baum says it is unlikely in the immediate term that Oak Crest will grow much larger. “The new facility will serve us well for many years and will be a place where scientists, students and the community can share in the excitement of advancing biomedical and environmental research,” he adds.
Community members and friends of Oak Crest will be able to share our excitement through upcoming blogs posted on our website and by watching time-lapse photography taken during the renovation efforts in Monrovia. Video footage of the construction efforts will also be posted on the Oak Crest website.
“This is a very exciting time for us and for everyone who has supported Oak Crest,” says Dr. Baum. “Oak Crest is on the move and we’re taking you with us! We hope you enjoy the transition as we begin this next phase of growth.”